Showing posts with label Hope. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hope. Show all posts

Tuesday, May 24, 2016

Hunting Hope by Nika Maples


About the Book:

Hunting Hope: Dig Through the Darkness to Find the Light (April 2016, Worthy Inspired)

Hope is not an accident. Sometimes it has to be hunted, and hunting it takes courage.

Hope hunters know how to excavate hope from hardship. There is dirt underneath their fingernails and sweat on their shirts. They rake through the rubble of an unwanted situation, digging into difficult circumstances because they have come to expect that adversity will produce good. They believe that light always triumphs over darkness. They have learned to walk through winter with their eyes on spring.

Nika Maples became a hope hunter after suffering a massive brainstem stroke that left her quadriplegic in her twenties. Doctors warned that she had as little as 48 hours to live, and-if she lived at all-she would never walk or talk again. There was no hope on the horizon. So Nika started to hunt for it. Today, she not only walks, but she speaks to audiences everywhere about the power of hunting hope when a situation appears hopeless. She says hope remains camouflaged in the daily mundane. If we are not looking for it, we will miss it, though it is right before our eyes.

Whether you or someone you know is going through a situation that feels hopeless, you will find encouragement in Hunting Hope. Whether you are experiencing a medical trauma, a financial hardship, or a relational crisis, you will find empowerment in Hunting Hope. As you read, you will cling to 20 truths about God’s character and practice 5 daily disciplines that will develop your own character in crisis.

You will become a hope hunter.

Maybe it doesn’t matter what causes suffering in our lives as much as it matters what suffering causes in our lives. Maybe we were all meant to be hope hunters.

Learn more and purchase a copy.


About the Author:

Nika Maples is the author of Twelve Clean Pages, the memoir of her survival of lupus and a stroke that left her quadriplegic at age 20. After learning to walk and talk again, she became a public school teacher, winning 2007 Texas Secondary Teacher of the Year. She holds an MA in English Education from Columbia University and currently is pursuing an MDIV from The King's University. When she is not traveling to speak, she lives, writes, and laughs as much as possible in Fort Worth, Texas.



Margie’s Comments: 
Hunting Hope by Nika Maples is nothing like what I expected. It’s better! And I could hardly put it down. Thankfully it has short chapters, so I was able to sneak a chapter or two in between unpacking boxes and settling in to a new home.

After coming through a series of dark years, reading this book was like a refreshing spring rain, bringing with it the freshness of new growth and understanding. I love the emphasis the author put into knowing God and His Word before speaking of living out the truths that we learn only in the dark places of life. In fact, three-quarters of the book focuses on God’s various attributes. Only in the last one-quarter of the book does she speak of what we are to do with the “new” information we have because of what we learn in the dark times of life. From the introduction to the very last chapter, Nika emphasizes the faithfulness of God—my favorite and most comforting attribute of His! As I read Hunting Hope, not only was I affirmed in the fact that I am a hunter of hope but also hope is the core word of my life—one the Lord revealed to me during my most recent dark time.

I would encourage all my readers to get a copy of Nika’s book, Hunting Hope, and become hunters of hope with the author and me. You will be blessed!

Friday, March 27, 2015

Halo Found Hope by Helo Matzelle

Halo Found Hope (December 2014)

Machines beeping, the blur of medical staff running, a crash cart whizzing into an ICU room—was there any hope?

A young woman lay, packed in ice, as doctors attempted to somehow stop the swelling in her brain that threatened to take her life… and her family waited.
Six days turned into eight weeks. She awoke to discover that she was not the same. She saw two of everything, couldn’t feel half of her face, couldn’t hear from one ear, and could not speak. She couldn’t even tell anyone that she felt hopeless… or could she?

Halo Found Hope is the story of a beautiful, busy wife, and mother of three whose life changes instantly with the diagnosis of a rare brain tumor. An exceptional ENT, a brilliant neurosurgeon and a dedicated medical team tackle the tumor, setting off a series of unbelievable miracles. Helo’s story is not one of survival, or of salvaging a life through a broken body. It is not about endurance through pain, but victory because of it. While the family heard her silence, God heard her prayer. Helo’s story is simply this: Wherever you are and whatever you are going through, God is right there. He doesn’t need to be re cognized by you, to be there for you. He can replace fear with courage and discouragement with determination, if you let Him. Helo did, and that is how she found hope.

Learn more and purchase a copy at Helo’s website.

Watch the trailer.


About the author: 

Helouise "Halo" Matzelle led a charmed life until receiving a shocking diagnosis in 2011 of a rare brain tumor sitting over the main artery in her brain. Matzelle's passion is helping those who face various challenges and afflictions discover where true hope is found. She resides in Redmond, WA, with her husband and their three children.

Find Helo online: website, Facebook, Twitter





Margie's Comments: What an encouraging read! As Helo Matzelle tells us of her unexpected diagnosis and subsequent surgery with all of its incredible risks, I was reminded of God's faithfulness in every area of our lives. Helo is transparent and honest in discussing the terror she felt from the diagnosis to waking up weeks later to realize she still had SO much to overcome. But through it all God gave her hope and through her family and friends showed her she was not alone. I could hardly put the book down, as I followed her painful and incredibly difficult journey. I highly recommend this book. It's not always an "easy" read, and many times I found myself crying with the author as she told her story. But through it all, I found the encouragement of hope and peace that only comes from God. Each chapter is chock-full of God's faithfulness and His incredible love for each one of His children.

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

The Turning by Davis Bunn



About The Turning
ISBN (Trade Paperback): 978-0802411686
304 pages
April 1, 2014 from River North, a division of Moody Publishers

Video Trailer
Video trailer for THE TURNING, by best-selling author, Davis Bunn.   
http://youtu.be/oIP6FhBjgOI
Davis Bunn talks about his upcoming novel, THE TURNING.
http://youtu.be/e3dodFsx9WI

Read Chapters 1-3 of The Turning for free
Read chapters 1-3 of “The Turning” by Davis Bunn for free: http://statictab.com/fvrrsxz (Like his Facebook page to start reading.)

About Davis Bunn

Davis Bunn is a four-time Christy Award-winning, best-selling author now serving as writer-in-residence at Regent's Park College, Oxford University in the United Kingdom.
Defined by readers and reviewers as a "wise teacher," "gentleman adventurer," "consummate writer," and "Renaissance man," his work in business took him to over 40 countries around the world, and his books have sold more than seven million copies in sixteen languages.
Visit Davis at davisbunn.com or theturningbook.com/
Twitter: @davisbunn

Plot Synopsis
The message was unexpected but instantly recognizable. 

A voice resonated from a distance and somehow from within. Against all earthly logic, it carried a divine command. And five very different people knew they were summoned to obey.

Their actions were demanding, but not particularly grand. Only later would they see a pattern emerge — one that links their tasks together and comes to challenge the cultural direction of the nation. They realize that one small personal response unveiled a new realm of moral responsibility. And this affirmation of everyday hope captures the attention of millions.

But power and money are at stake. Malicious elements soon align themselves to counter the trend.  To succeed they must also undermine its source. Can we really believe that God speaks to people today? Surely this must be dismissed as superstition or delusion. These well-intentioned but misguided individuals should not be allowed to cast our society back into the Dark Ages.

The public debate and media frenzy place an unprecedented spotlight on knowing and doing God's will. The five encounter threats, but try to remain steadfast in their faith. Had God indeed imparted wisdom on selected individuals? Is this sweep of events part of his divine purpose? 

The movement may herald a profound renewal — one that some are calling The Turning...


Margie's Comments: 
The Turning, Davis Bunn's newest release, is another excellent, thought-provoking read, even with his trademark suspense. The characters are well developed and endearing. Even the "villain" of the story is likable in spite of the fact I wanted his scheme to fail. As I read The Turning, I was impressed by the similarity to some of my own faith-challenging experiences the last several years. God's faithfulness to uphold truth above the lies of the enemy and of this world is clearly depicted in the events. I highly recommend this book, especially to those who truly desire to live out a real faith in God and His Word. Also, let me challenge you to do the forty day devotional found at http://theburningbook.com.


I received a complimentary copy of The Turning from River North Fiction in exchange for my honest review.